Today Cape Town saw thousands of people pouring into the city to protest at the American embassy re the bombing in Afghanistan. All the roads into the city were closed so people couldn't get in or out (by car). The embassy was surrounded by miles of razor wire, the streets swarming with heavily armed soldiers and police. The march was organized by the Muslim
Judicial Council, the churches and the trade unions, to protest against the unnecessary killing of innocent people in Afghanistan.

Many of the marchers carried guns, which they were forced to hand over before being allowed into the city. They handed a memorandum to the deputy ambassador, saying the retaliatory strikes must stop immediately. The situation got ugly, as it always does, people broke through the
police barriers and the hot humid weather didn't help matters either. This whole Afghanistan thing is spilling over here too, and we've had more than enough of this type of trouble already. I hope Bush and Co. get their act together quickly and quit playing war games.

We're trying to work on building peace here, we don't need ugly things like today's demonstration.

October, 2001, from the Philippines

I am an expatriate living in the Philippines. A hundred years of US domination (with a short hiatus for the Japanese) has done very little for Filipinos. I read your [Maya's] assessment of the US temperament. I mostly agree.

The most unrealistic portion was your hope that US citizens can take a long hard look at what the US has done in its name, and then accept it. IMO if you really look you're going to be shocked and then pissed off. It is going to take time to integrate what has been done in the name of the Americans.

I am watching from over here and doing what I can to help get the farmers sustainable and unhooked from chemical farming. I have my practice, which I love. I am working pro bono with small scale farmers. I read yesterday that Mars was, besides the god of war, the god of husbandry and associated with sustaining with food. I'm using this time of Mars energy to prepare and renew the earth over here.

Health and Happiness for all natural creation,